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Kenneth Lonergan’s Manchester by the Sea premiered at Sundance Film Festival earlier this year to near universal acclaim, with many calling it the best film of the year. Now, we usually have a few of those come out of Sundance, before the hype dies down as the year goes on. But not for Manchester by the Sea. After all of the drama surrounding Nate Parker and Birth of a Nation, it appears that Manchester by the Sea is the new early front-runner to take home the gold at this year’s Oscars.

Well, if it’s so great, then let’s see a trailer!

Okay!

So that was a trailer. While I enjoyed the trailer, it didn’t sell me that Manchester by the Sea was the film of the year. But, I’ve heard nothing but amazing things for this film, especially Casey Affleck’s performance. So, while the trailer didn’t blow me away, I remain excited! Let’s get a synopsis up in here:

After the death of his older brother Joe (Kyle Chandler), Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck) is shocked to learn that Joe has made him sole guardian of his nephew Patrick (Lucas Hedges). Taking leave of his job, Lee reluctantly returns to Manchester-by-the-Sea to care for Patrick, a spirited 15-year-old, and is forced to deal with a past that separated him from his wife Randi (Michelle Williams) and the community where he was born and raised. Bonded by the man who held their family together, Lee and Patrick struggle to adjust to a world without him. In his first film since 2011’s acclaimed Margaret, Lonergan once again proves himself a powerful and visionary storyteller as he seamlessly weaves past and present together, crafting a tension-filled tale that deftly eschews sentimentality in favor of penetrating emotional insight and deeply affecting human relationships.